Like an intricate puzzle, each piece of this che-tsu
fits together to form a brilliantly colored pattern.

A Tibetan monastery is adorned in many
ways. One of these is through the art form of applique.
It is similar to quilting. Many pieces of a picture
are cut out of differently patterned and colored silk
and sewn by hand to form an exquisite work of art. When
the subject is dharma the picture becomes an inspiring
marvel, perhaps best exemplified by the applique tangkas
(thang.ka in Wylie transliteration) of buddhas, deities,
and lineage masters. Other types of sacred applique
art serve a more functional purpose like providing suitable
clothing for a statue or ornamentation for a temple.

The applique at Karma
Triyana Dharmachakra Monastery is made from fine
silk brocade from the Indian city of Benares, where
Buddha taught long ago. Coming from this sacred pilgrimage
site further enhances the dharmic qualities of the
work. The silk applique artist engaged by KTD was
the master of sacred art Gyaltsen Chopel, a monk from
Nechung Monastery in Dharamsala, India. The original
Nechung in Lhasa, Tibet, a small monastery corresponding
to its name "small place," is famous for producing
master artists, and its namesake continues that tradition.
The original Nechung is also the alma mater of KTD's
resident master artist and shrine keeper, Tinley Chojor.

Gyaltsen
began work on the KTD applique in 1997, selected
for the project because, like Tinley, he is one
of the best in his craft. He was trained at Nechung,
which he entered as a young boy, and graduated
as a fully ordained monk conversant with the scriptures
and various liturgical arts such as the construction
of sand mandalas and butter sculpture. Showing
a talent for artistry, he spent fifteen years
training in the art of silk applique with two
monks: Thupten Phunstok, the only living master
who held the lineage of this seventh century sacred
art, and Thupten Sherap. Gyaltsen has since worked
to keep the tradition alive, passing it on to
the next generation of monks. In the spring of
1999 his work was recognized with an exhibit of
his tangkas at Tibet House in New York City.

Kushok (an honorific version of "the monk") Gyaltsen
has his work cut out for him in the applique world.
First he designs the picture according to traditional
instructions found in Tibetan Buddhist texts. Then
he determines the various measurements. (Imagine being
off by an inch here or there.) Next he has to gather
the material--go to India, that is, and find just
the right type of silk in just the right colors. With
his previous measurements and drawings, and his newly
procured textiles, he then gets down to the nitty-gritty
of how each piece should be cut. But that's not all.
Now he has to round up his cutting crew to perform
the tedious cutting jobs. These workers are usually
monks. Most of the embroidered detail is done in India,
then Kushok Gyaltsen brings the pieces back to the
U.S. and completes the final sewing assembly. We love
what he has accomplished at KTD.

On the face of
the Karmapa's throne:
a red-and-gold tenga dorje

Outfitted in
gold silk, a statue of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa
Karmapa